Shiitake Hot & Sour Soup

I happened to catch an episodes of Dr. Oz while my girl was napping last week. While I'm not typically into daytime TV, I'm glad I stumbled upon this episode because it gave me some great recipe inspiration, including this one I whipped up for dinner last Saturday. This soup contains several immunity boosting ingredients like mushrooms, onion, ginger and garlic, making it a perfect cold and flu fighter.  Plus it's got a definite kick, making it a winner with my husband!

I would only make the following changes next time to make it even better: 1) reduce the amount of lemon juice by about 2 Tbsp, and 2) add some Chicken Bullion to enhance the depth and flavor.In my personal opinion, it would take this recipe from great to superb!

Shiitake Hot and Sour Soup
Recipe  from Dr. Oz

1 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 jalapeño, minced with seeds
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 bunches scallions, green and white parts sliced, 2 tbsp greens reserved
1 lb shiitakes, stems removed and tops 1/4-in sliced
2 1/2 quarts chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp naturally brewed soy sauce
Juice and zest of 2 lemons
1 block silken tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups shredded carrots
Freshly cracked black pepper

Directions
In a stockpot over medium-high heat, add oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Add jalapeño, ginger, garlic and scallions. Sauté until aromatic, about a minute. Add shiitakes and sauté 2 minutes, until softened.

Add stock and soy sauce, bring to a simmer and reduce by 20%, about 5 minutes. Add lemon juice, tofu and carrots and cook gently for 2 more minutes to heat tofu through. Season with black pepper.

Ladle soup into serving bowls and garnish with reserved scallion greens and lemon zest.

Paula Deen Sans the Butter

There are countless reasons I love Pinterest, one being the overwhelming collection of recipes I have saved to try for later! This particular soup has been tempting me with it's deliciousness for a couple of weeks and I was determined to try it out last week. Who even knew that Paula Deen's boys had such a knack for cooking?

Let me just say that it just may be my favorite way to eat lasagna-EVER! It oozes flavor, and a plus, is much healthier than anything I've ever seen Paula make:)  I wouldn't change a single thing about this recipe, and that is saying a lot!! And please, whatever you do-DO NOT skip the fresh basil, as it makes all the difference for this recipe!

Bobby's Lighter Tastes Like Lasagna Soup
Recipe from Deen Bros.

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 ounces broken whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 4 noodles)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
8 Whole-wheat breadsticks or grissini (optional)

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick saucepot or Dutch oven. Add the sausage, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is crumbled and browned, 8 – 10 minutes.

Add the broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, salt, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended, about 20 minutes. Add the noodles; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens slightly and the noodles are tender, 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in mozzarella, basil, and the Parmesan. Serve with the breadsticks, if using. (whole-wheat lasagna noodles take a little longer to cook.)

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Freezing Meals: Part 2

I give you installment two of my meal freezing adventures (read more on Part 1 here)! Chris and I should now be well-prepared for the upcoming days of not having the time to prepare our favorites, as our little one will be occupying much of our precious spare moments! I'm excited and motivated to continue doing this in the future, since it really takes no more time to double up a batch of a good, freezable soup or hearty meal and freeze it for later!

Our final efforts left us with four soups and a lasagna my mother-in-law made me (which separated into 4 meals for 2). My mom and I quadrupled each recipe, leaving us each several meals worth of soups! And not only was it a productive Sunday afternoon, but we had fun in the process! I will definitely be doing this again!

Here's a glimpse at the fruits of our labor:

Turkey Chili 

This is the simplest chili recipe of all time! It is always my fall back if I am not trying out some new, fancy version. Of course, feel free to change it up to your liking-I happen to like mine with a bit more corn and sometimes I like to mix kidney and black beans:)

1 lb. ground turkey, browned

1 can no-salt added corn, drained

2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 large container salsa

2 packets chili seasoning

 

Mix all ingredients in a large stock pot. Cook over medium heat for about 1-2 hours. Though the longer you cook, the better the flavors will meld together.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Because the noodles don't freeze very well, we opted to leave them out. As it is easy enough to add them when reheating the soup. Of course, omitting them gives you the freedom to switch it up with wild rice as my husband prefers.

1 (3 to 4-pound) whole chicken, cooked and shredded
1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped

2 celery stalks, roughly chopped

2 Tbsp, olive oil

2 cubes chicken bullion

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 lb. egg noodles (or wild rice)

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a dutch oven. Add onions and cook until soft (3-4 minutes). Add celery and carrots and cook until softened (another 3-4 minutes). Add chicken stock, bullion and shredded chicken, cooking until heated through. If adding noodles, pour into soup about 5 minutes before serving. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Potato Leek Soup

 A new favorite of ours and a perfect accompaniment to grilled paninis on a chilly day! Plus, this soup is a cinch to make.

Carrot Ginger Soup

This is my all-time favorite soup and so worth the prep time! It embodies the wonderful flavors of Fall and  comforts the soul with just a few sips.

And there you have it, my first adventure in meal freezing (on a large scale, anyway)!

Kitchen Comfort

How much are you all loving this rainy, fall weather?! Just in case you don't have a simple, go-to soup to cap off the lovely, fire-worthy weather, I'm going to supply you with a must try recipe for Potato Leek Soup that will simply knock your big, fuzzy socks off!!

My favorite thing about this version is its simplicity. In fact, the reason I chose to try this particular recipe was because I had all the ingredients on hand and it didn't require more than 30 minutes! But don't let the simplicity of flavors fool you, as it's bursting with hearty flavor. At least my husband, being the manly-man eater he is, loved it! In fact, he finished off three bowls, barely leaving me with leftovers for the following day:) I think leaving it slightly chunky was a good call as it added some texture, much like a baked potato soup.

Well done, Amy Finley, well done!

Potato and Leek Soup
recipe from Food Network's Amy Finley

2 tablespoons butter
2 large leeks, white and pale green parts only, well rinsed to remove sand grit, chopped
2 russet gold potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks (I used Yukon Gold)
1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream (You could also use 2% milk if that's what you have on hand)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh chives, for garnish (optional)
Special Equipment: an immersion blender, or blender

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and saute the leeks until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and stock and cook until the vegetables are cooked through and beginning to fall apart, about 15 to 20 minutes. If using an immersion blender, submerge in the soup and puree until smooth but with some small chunks remaining. *If using a blender, ladle the soup into the blender and blend until smooth but with some small chunks remaining. You may have to do this in 2 batches. Add the cream and blend to combine, then check for seasoning and add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve hot ladled into soup bowls and topped with some of the chopped chives.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Baked Potato Soup

Ever since I got sick in November and my mother-in-law brought us potato soup for dinner, it has been in the back of my mind as a potential meal idea. I just loved it, both for dinner and for lunch the next day!

When I finally decided to try it this week, it wasn't by my own brilliance, but that of my mother-in-law, who suggested I take the extra baked potatoes we had leftover from Chris' birthday dinner last week. Can I just say, I would never have thought of that! So, with the main ingredient for potato soup in my fridge, I set out to find an easy, healthy-ish recipe.

Here's what I found: Cooking Light's Baked Potato Soup, which reviews have rated outstanding! I would have to agree it is pretty phenomenol! It is hearty, creamy, slightly chunky and has a decedant sprinkle of flavorful bacon on top (leftover from Chris' birthday breakfast!).

Typically I follow directions to a tee the first time I use a recipe and then I may tweek it later, but with this soup I used skim milk instead of the recommended 2%, since that's what I normally buy. We still found it to be remarkably creamy and thick, so I would say either would probably do just fine.

Baked Potato Soup
4 baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 ounces)
6 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extrasharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Cracked black pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°.
Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coarsely mash.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place flour in a large Dutch oven; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes). Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.
Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 8 bowls. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons onions, and about 1 tablespoon bacon. Garnish with cracked pepper, if desired.

Makes 8 (1 1/2) cup servings

Perfectly Satisfying

As it should be...


Our dinner last night was exactly what I love about this season; Pumpkin Ale, Chicken Potato Spinach Soup and a crusty garlic bread. Simple yet perfectly satisfying!

And since I am running on 5 hours of sleep, I think I'll wait to share some funny happenings from last night. Something to look forward to tomorrow! Happy hump day!!

Oh, did you know that Fall didn't officially begin until 2:19 PT yesterday?? So technically, today is the first full day of Fall:) Random, I know!

Chicken Barley Stew

Ingredients
32 oz. low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tbsp thyme
1/2 tbsp basil
1/2 tbsp cilantro
1/4 tbsp dill
2 bay leaves
1/2 tbsp fresh ground black pepper
12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast cubed (uncooked)
1/2 cup uncooked black-eyed peas, rinsed and picked through (I used canellini beans instead)
1/2 cup barley
1 medium sweet onion, cubed
20 oz. potatoes, peeled and cubed
10 oz. carrots (3 large), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices
8 tbsp low-fat sour cream (optional)

Instructions
Fill a slow cooker with broth, 8 oz. water, garlic, herbs and pepper. Add chicken, peas and barley, then layer onion, potatoes and carrots. Liquid should just cover vegetables. Do not stir. Allow to simmer overnight, at least 4 to 6 hours. Remove bay leaves and stir before serving. Spoon 1 cup into each bowl and top with 1 tbsp. sour cream, if desired.


Enjoy this crock pot creation!

After the Fair, Can it be Fall?

We made it to Friday! I love fridays for many reasons, one being that I stop for coffee in the morning:) It's like a little reward for making it through another week in one peice!

I've got some exciting festivities I'm looking forward to this weekend! Allow me to divulge...

Tonight I am going to the musical called Mid-Life, The Crisis! I can't wait:) It started out being mostly for my Mom because since she's turned 40 she has joked, semi-seriously, about forgeting everything. I think it's funny and when I saw this musical going on in Auburn, I just had to get tickets! The soundtrack is hilarious:)


And on Saturday we are going to the California State Fair! Yippee!!! I love the fair and look forward to it every year. I just can't believe it's that time of the year already!


I don't know why, but August and September have always been "blah" months to me. Once I go to the fair, I'm ready to skip to October (my second favorite month!). I'm ready for the Fall, leaves changing colors, lots of hot tea, pumpkins, Apple hill, crock pot meals and cool weather. I'm not complaining about the warm weather, it's just that by this time of year, I'm ready for a change of pace! I'm also looking forward to...

Pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks...


Cozy scarves...


And soup! Our Vita-Mix will be getting a lot of use:)


Have a wonderful weekend!